Shemini Atzeret: Stay just a little bit longer!

Hi,

Regarding the meaning of the holiday of Shmini Atzeret, which is celebrated this coming Wednesday night and Thursday:

"I have kept you with Me, like a king who invites his children for a feast which lasts for a certain number of days, and then asks, 'Please stay with me an extra day, your departure pains me,' when they prepare to leave."

עצרתי אתכם אצלי כמלך שזימן את בניו לסעודה לכך וכך ימים, כיון שהגיע זמנן להפטר אמר בני בבקשה מכם, עכבו עמי עוד יום אחד, קשה עלי פרידתכם 

(Rashi to Vayikra 23:36, citing a Midrash - you might also click on the "Shemini Atzeret" label to see other posts regarding the meaning of this day)

מועדים לשמחה,
Mordechai

Shemini Atzeret, the Jews and the Nations

Hi,

“’On the eighth day, you shall have a celebration’ – This is the meaning of Tehillim 109:4, ‘In return for my love they hate me, but I am entirely prayer.’

“On Succot Israel brings before You seventy bulls for the seventy nations. Israel declares: Master of the Universe, we bring before You seventy bulls for the nations, and they should love us, but instead they hate us – In return for my love, they hate me!

“Therefore, Gd said to them: Now bring for yourselves. ‘On the eighth day you shall have a celebration for yourselves…’"

(Midrash, Bamidbar Rabbah 21:24)

Moadim l'simchah,
Mordechai

How Shmini Atzeret was born

Hi,

[The following is based on part of Yeshayah 26:15, rendered in this midrash as, ‘You have added for the nation; You have added for the nation, and You have been honored.’ The purpose is to explain how the 7-day holiday of Succot gained an eighth day.]

“The Jewish people declared before Gd: Master of the Universe! It is Your responsibility to provide us with festivals [literally: appointed times], and it is our responsibility to bring appropriate offerings to You. ‘You have been honored.’ You gave us Rosh Chodesh, and we bring offerings before You; on Pesach we brought offerings to You; on Rosh haShanah we brought offerings to You; on Yom Kippur we brought offerings to You; and the same was true for Succot. We have not abandoned a single festival!

“And so the Jewish people declared before Gd: It is for You to add festivals for us, and it is our responsibility to bring offerings before You and honor You. ‘You have added for the nattion, and You have been honored’ – HaShem said to them, ‘By your lives, I will not remove festivals from you, but rather I will add times for you to rejoice.’ And so it is written, ‘On the eighth day, you shall have a celebration.’”

(Midrash, Bamidbar Rabbah 21:23)

Moadim l'simchah,
Mordechai

Shmini Atzeret

Hi,

"On all of the days of Succot the Jews bring [70] offerings, parallel to the 70 nations. They then prepare to leave. Gd says to them, 'Please, make Me a small meal, so that I will benefit from you, too.'"

(Midrash Tanchuma Pinchas 16 - explaining the holiday of Shmini Atzeret with its single bull-offering to Gd)

Moadim l'Simchah,
Mordechai